Transdisciplinary education is a core component of a PhilaU education and critical to meeting the needs of students in the 21st century, Ron Kander, executive dean of the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, said in a letter to The Chronicle of Higher Education. Responding to a Chronicle story, “Why Disciplines are Becoming Less Important,” which was focused on programs in the U.K., Kander said, “Artificial barriers between disciplines no longer exist here, and faculty and students have embraced this model, understanding that it is important both to have the knowledge and also know what to do with it.”